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Nearly a year-and-a-half after Chris Cornell's death, a
career-spanning retrospective collection captured the breadth of
his varied career as a solo artist and vocalist of Soundgarden,
Audioslave, and Temple of the Dog. That massive vinyl box set was
pared down into a tight greatest hits simply titled Chris Cornell.
Arranged in chronological order as a highlight reel of his iconic
career, this self-titled compilation offers a bittersweet reminder
of just how much Cornell accomplished in roughly 30 years on the
scene, from a '90s Seattle grunge icon to a fearless late-era
singer/songwriter. Front-loaded with his mainstream alt-rock
touchstones, Chris Cornell starts close to the beginning with "Loud
Love" from Soundgarden's 1989 sophomore effort, Louder Than Love.
While his signature vocal delivery was still in its nascent stage,
hints of his inimitable howl can be heard percolating beneath the
towering, metal-influenced attack of his bandmates. Yet once
"Outshined" (from 1991's Badmotorfinger) kicks in, the power of
Cornell's growls and wails are properly cemented. From here, it's a
play-by-play of all of his major eras. Temple of the Dog's singular
1991 hit, "Hunger Strike," is paired with a soaring rendition of
that band's "Call Me a Dog," which was recorded in 2011 for
Cornell's live album, Songbook. Respectfully, the collection
doesn't lean too much upon his time with Soundgarden: aside from
1994's Grammy-winning classic "Black Hole Sun" and 2012's swan song
"Been Away Too Long," debut Ultramega OK and 1996's
platinum-certified Down on the Upside are ignored. A pair of
Audioslave's early-2000s alternative chart-toppers -- which have
aged well in retrospect -- also appear, but the collection mostly
sticks to his solo work. From his first solo song ("Seasons" from
1992's Singles soundtrack) to his very last recordings, these
offerings are the true attractions on Chris Cornell. Additional
soundtrack selections include his 2006 Bond theme, "You Know My
Name," and the Grammy-nominated 2017 single from the film of the
same name, "The Promise." Each of his albums is granted at least
one inclusion, even 2009's oft-misunderstood collaboration with
Timbaland, Scream, whose "Long Gone" is featured here as a "rock
version" stripped of the hip-hop producer's signature sound. In
addition to that deep cut, other highlights include a searing cover
of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" (from 2007's Carry On); the
folksy plucking of "Nearly Forgot My Broken Heart" (from his fourth
and final solo album, 2015's Higher Truth); and a heartbreaking
acoustic cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U," which delivers the
biggest gut punch on the album. The grand finale, previously
unreleased song "When Bad Does Good," is a mournful dirge wherein
Cornell sings with a weary rasp, "Standing beside an open
grave/Your fate decided, your life erased." It's an all-too-real
end to the collection, both cathartic for mourners and an unfair
taunt to those still processing this heavy loss. Chris Cornell is a
reverential capstone that charts the tortured artist's highs and
lows, providing an ideal first step for anyone wishing to dive
deeper into the impressive catalog of one of rock's loudest and
most emotive voices. ~ Neil Z. Yeung